The other choice
by BakApple
Summary: A sort of "what happened behind the scenes" during Weirmageddon part.3 - Take back the falls. Hope you like it!
1. Pre-chapter

_**So, this is no chapter of the one-shot —of course because a one-shot has only one chapter— but rather much a disclaimer.**_

 _ **First of all, this one-shot deals with the events during**_ **Weirdmageddon** **part 3 – Take back the Falls** _ **so, if you didn't watch it, go watch it and then read this later, cause there gonna be some big spoilers in it!**_

 _ **Then, even though I've read it plenty of times, and a bilingual friend read it too, I'm not sure this one-shot will be really good, in terms of quality of writing. That was the first time I wrote in another language than my mother tongue, so there might be some mistakes. I apologize if there are some.**_

 _ **And finally, I don't own this at all.**_ **Gravity Falls** _ **and all the episodes we've watched belong to our dear Alex Hirsch~**_

 _ **Please don't forget to comment, to give a review or something like that. I'd really appreciate some feedbacks about this, because this part of the episode just can't get out of my head, I had to write somehow something about this, and I'd love to see what people think about it!**_

 _ **Thank you a lot for reading!**_ **\o/**


	2. The other choice :

_The other choice_

"Save yourselves. Run! We'll take care of Bill!" Dipper yelled to his great-uncles as the big yellow demon wiped his eye in pain.

The teenager's voice echoed in the wide and dark place.

"What? That's a suicide mission!" Ford replied.

He stepped forwards his nephew. Stanley seemed to want to add something, but his voice kept silent.

"Trust us" the boy smiled. "We've beat' him before…"

"And we'll beat him again!" his twin sister ended.

They fist-bumped with a knowing smile, before yelling at the floating triangle.

"Come and get us you pointy jerk!" she exclaimed.

The demon turned red. Apparently he didn't like the word she used. He groaned as the two brats fled in a dark labyrinth of crossed beams.

"No! It's too dangerous!" the scientist called.

His brother and he started running after the kids, but Bill caught them before they could take a step with some psychic power that almost strangled them.

"Not so fast" he shouted as a bluish pyramid-shaped cage appeared around the two men. "You two wait here."

In front of their scared eyes, the creature became blood-colored, and more golden arms grew on the three sides of his body. His eye turned black, only a little golden point shone, with more rage and monstrosity.

"I've got some children I need to make into corpses!" he added as he landed on the ground, way much bigger than ever, multiples tongues overstepping his multiple mouths and teeth. "See ya real soon."

His voice was so deep, so demonic; Ford and Stan felt shivers down their spines.

The creature laughed, and started running towards the triangle where the kids disappeared minutes ago. Every thing was trembling every time he stepped.

"No! Wait! No! No!" Stanley screamed as he grabbed the bars of his prison.

But it was too late; the _thing_ went totally crazy and vanished into the dark rooms.

"What do we do? _What do we do_?"

"Kids!" Ford banged on the bars.

They could almost hear Bill's monster voice echoing. He must have found the poor kids…

It was hopeless. No one could save them anymore…

"I can't believe this." Stan moaned. "The kids are gonna die and it's all my fault."

He fell on his knees, hid his face behind his left hand.

"Because I couldn't shake your stupid hand…!"

Everything was _because of him_. Because he didn't accept that his brother was better than him, that _Poindexter_ had a chance of succeeding in life when _he_ couldn't do anything else than _nothing_.

"Dad was right about me…" he sighed with remorse. "I am a screw-up."

"Ah, don't blame yourself" his brother sadly replied. "I'm the one who made a deal with Bill in the first place."

And everything was kind of because of his desire of knowing the unknown, of discovering the undiscovered, of explaining the unexplained…

"I fell for all his easy flattery" he added. "You would have seen him for the scam artist he is."

He took a sip of an unknown drink he took out from the inner pocket of his coat, and sat by his brother's side. He gave him the flask, which Stanley didn't refuse.

"How did things get so messed up between us?" he wondered before drinking.

"We used to be like Dipper and Mabel…"

He stared into space. He couldn't understand either.

"The world's about to end and they still work together. _How_ do they do it?"

"Easy." Stan shrugged. "They're kids. They don't know any better."

Ford stood up; Stanley grabbed his right sleeve, like a kid grabs his mother's arm not to be lost.

"Wow, where you goin'?"

"I'm going to play the only card we have left" Ford dropped.

It was easy to understand he _really_ didn't want this to happen, neither this solution to be used.

"Let Bill into my mind."

How ironic this was.

"He'll be able to take over the galaxy and maybe even worse, but at least he might let the kids free."

Yeah. He _might_. Even this small hope seemed useless. Bill was Bill. He would obviously find a way to trick him and to get over the kids again, and surely kill them.

"What!? Are you kiddin' me?!"

Stan stood up, throwing the empty flask away.

"Are you honestly telling me there's nothing else we can do!?"

He was eaten away by his responsibilities in this story, and more by the anxiety.

"Bill's only weak in the mind space."

His voice was grave. Too grave.

"If I didn't have this darn plate in my head" he said as he knocked on it, "we could just erase him with the memory gun when he steps into my mind."

Stanley miserably stared at his brother's invention.

"What if he goes into my mind?" he asked, a little thought crawling in the back of his head. "My brain isn't good for anything."

His brother laughed. A sad chuckle, that rapidly disappeared.

"There's nothing in your mind he wants" he simply answered in despair. "It has to be me."

He looked deeply into his twin's eyes.

"We _need_ to take his deal. It's the _only way_ he'll agree to save you and the kids…"

"Do you really think he's gonna make good on that deal?"

For sure, this was bringing him back to reality. Bill could find a way to kill in any way Stanley, Mabel and Dipper, even with a deal on his back.

"What other choice do we have…?" he whispered, his eyes looking at his brother, hopeless.

There truly was _nothing_ they could do to avoid their deaths. Only a time-traveling machine would save them. But there wasn't any time-traveling machine to save them.

It was all on their own. The both of them, against the world.

"Uh, look."

Ford looked at his embarrassed brother. He was so hesitant...

"I have an idea. But you're not gonna like it..."

Was he thinking about what he was thinking? Thirty years had passed, but for sure he would know what he had in mind.

"I won't let you do such foolishness. I forbid you!"

Stan smiled. So his brother had figured out what plan he had thought to. _Obviously_. _He_ was _the smart one_.

"I don't know. Seems pretty good to me."

"He's not stupid enough. He'll see something isn't right."

Why was Ford desperately trying to find another solution? That truly was their last ticket to save the world...

"Please, just for once, trust me."

"I won't let you risk your life to save me" Ford loudly replied. "Neither for any of us."

"C'mon."

Stan crossed his arms on his chest. He didn't want to start a fight with his brother, but of course, _he_ didn't want to let him lead the thing for once.

"Listen Stanley, I don't want to lose any of you in this."

"I know" he abruptly grumbled. "Me neither..."

A sad light was shining in the depths of his eyes. He had lost the courage to fight. He wanted all of this to stop.

"But do we have any other choice?"

"I recognize we can't do much in our situation..."

Ford was as affected as he was. He was thinking about the pros and cons of the situation. And there were some good cons.

He grabbed his brother's shoulders. Face to face, eye to eye.

It had been a long time since they weren't so close, and not arguing.

"Do you understand that you will sacrifice yourself? That you will not get alive out of it?"

"Look, I already thought about this. Who do you think I am not to think about every detail of my plans?"

"I just... don't want to lose you, Stanley."

He looked down. He couldn't say it to his brother's face.

"I don't want you to give it to him anyway."

Silence. No sound could be heard. Except some rumbling noise far away, in the Fearamid. Surely Bill running after Dipper and Mabel...

"Yet I don't think that Bill will fall in your trap. I mean, he's omniscient, and he knows me. He will _see_ that you're not the one he wants..."

"Hey."

The old grumpy man interrupted the scientist. Of course he understood all of this. And yet, Ford still thought he had forgotten something.

He chuckled. Some nostalgic memories flooded in.

"Remember when we switched places in class once? Nobody had seen the trick..."

"Yeah. Only our parents saw it..."

"No one had noticed I didn't have your six fingers."

"And that I didn't have your five fingers..."

They softly laughed, as some good childhood memories revived. But the seriousness of the situation caught them up.

"I think it can work. But we must hurry" Ford finally said.

"How do ya' think we should proceed?"

Stanley looked to his brother. He was glad that even after all these years they still looked that much alike.

"He will come back, ask me one last time to give him the answer. You will just answer that—I don't know, you surrender. He'll fall for it."

Stanley nodded.

"Now we just gotta switch clothes. And disguise you a little more."

He undid the buttons of his jacket, while Ford took off his coat.

He sighed. This was definitely too awkward.

"Listen, I know that's stressful. Just, turn back" Stan simply told his brother.

Ford couldn't help himself smiling. They were grown up. They shouldn't be that much ill-at-ease with each other. Yet he felt embarrassed as soon as his brother gave him his clothes, which he put on the fastest he could.

When he turned his back to face Stanley, he was amazed by the way he _really_ looked like him. Only two things were missing.

The scientist took away his brother's glasses, and inverted with the one he had on his nose. He winced as the correction to his eyesight wasn't the same as the one he needed. Yet he had to go on with that.

"Oh, and there" he added when he took off his dark gloves and handed them to him.

"How am I supposed to fit _five_ fingers in _six_ sheaths?" Stanley smiled.

"I don't know. Just let the empty sheath in the middle?"

He tried to do so, but still it was easily noticeable that he didn't have six fingers. Yet they had to go with it.

Ford sighed. He couldn't believe that there were the last moments he would live by his brother's side.

"When he will come back, just shout you surrender, you'll give him the equation, and make him promise he'll spare us."

"I know what I have to do."

"I guess I'll have to play the grumpy old man, for once" Ford giggled.

He knew he would better not laugh, but he couldn't help himself. He was so nervous, so anxious. And he hardly accepted that he was going to lose his twin very soon.

"Stanley, I'm sorry."

"What?"

Was he playing the old grumpy man because he was stressed by all of this?

 _Obviously, you knucklehead_ , he answered to himself. _He is going to disappear forever. Of course he's afraid._

"I've spent thirty years of my life far away from you, and I've never stopped hating you, and cursing you for sending me there."

Stanley crossed his arms. Was he touched by this sudden confidence, or did it just reinvigorate the hard feelings that burned inside of him?

"You were right. You got me out of this; you made me get back home. And I've never thanked you."

Ford looked deep into his brother's eyes.

"Thank you for everything, Stanley."

"You're welcome, brother."

Some loud steps could be heard.

"I'm sorry you have to disappear like this..."

"Don't worry."

He was smiling. Hope shone on his face.

"That would be the first time I'd really help somebody. For sure I'll feel great."

"But you'll never come back...!"

"C'mon Stanford" he sighed. "I'm sure I'll find a way to recover my memories."

Ford hid his doubts in an encouraging smile.

"I don't doubt it" he lied.

Stanley held out his hand to his brother.

"I hope you'll take care of the kids, and of the future me."

"I promise."

The desire to hug him was so intense. How could he look so calm, so okay with himself!?

The storm of feelings roared in his mind. There were so many things he had to tell him, so much time to spend together, to catch up. And their time was so short...

"Stanley?" Ford called.

"Yeah?" Stanley faced him.

The scientist fell on his brother's neck. He strongly held him in his arms, hid his face in the embrace.

"Heh." Stan slightly laughed.

"What?"

"I don't trust hugs."

He enveloped his brother in his arms, giving him back his hug.

"They're just a way to hide your face."

The ground started trembling again.

"I'm gonna miss you, brother" Stanley whispered.

Ford nodded.

They exchanged a last knowing look, just before taking place where they were when Bill left. Then the triangle creature appeared in the room, firmly holding Dipper and Mabel in his hand.

"Alright, Ford. Time's up."

The two children were fighting and trying to escape, in vain.

"I've got the kids" Bill said without any other emotion than rage. "I think I'm gonna kill one of 'em now just for the heck of it!"

The two old men saw from below the demon move his hand nearer to his eye.

This same eye turned into a red spot, successively in the shape of a shooting star and a pine tree.

"EENIE... MEENIE... MINEE... _YOU_!"

" _Wait_!" Stanley shouted, his voice echoing in the big room.

Bill stopped himself immediately, and looked at him.

"I surrender" he added.

The thin pupil of the triangle stared at him, without any emotion reflected in it.

"Good choice" he simply said, before opening his hand.

Dipper and Mabel fell on the ground in a weak moan.

"Don't do it, Ford!"

Stanford grabbed his brother's collar, and shouted with the strongest voice he could.

"It'll destroy the universe!"

Next to them, Bill shrunk to his original size, and looked at them, quite amused.

"It's the _only_ way!" Stanley answered, while trying to get away from his brother's closed fists.

Bill started laughing.

" _Oh_ , even when you're about to die, you Pines twins just _can't_ get along!" he said as he stared at Stanford _disguised as Stanley_.

He snapped his fingers, and the big triangular cage opened, freeing the old men.

Stanford saw two red hands and arms growing out from the ground, and gripping him, forcing him to violently kneel.

Stanley looked at him for a second, and then addressed himself to the demon.

"My only condition is that you let my brother and the kids go!"

"Fine", Bill answered immediately as he raised his right hand in the air, to show he promised it.

"No! Great-uncle Ford, don't trust him!" Dipper implored him.

But he didn't listen to him. Stanley walked towards the demon. He was so close. That was going to work.

"It's a _deal_!" Bill exclaimed.

He held out his hand to the contracting. A blue flame burned all around it.

Stanley slid his right hand into it. And he shook hands with the demon.

The contract was sealed.

The physical form of the demon turned into stone, and fell on the ground. Stanley let his hand go, and watched the golden spectrum getting out of it.

Everything turned grey. So now they were in the _mind space_ …

The demon rubbed his hands together, and laughed, and laughed, as excited as a kid in a toy shop would be.

He rapidly flew toward Stanley, who let a scream of fear getting out from his throat.

The demon was in his head now. He _felt_ that.

He imagined an empty room, white, where the demon appeared.

"Ooh, I'm here! I'm _finally_ here!" he moaned with pleasure.

He floated in the huge place, towards a single door.

"Look at this place. A perfectly calm, orderly void."

He seemed so happy. The answer he was looking for was just behind that door.

"Gotta hand it to ya, Ford. You really know how to clear your m—"

He opened the door, and discovered the living room of the Mystery Shack. With _Stanley_ sitting there, playing with a paddleball. And pointing his finger to him like a gun, smirking.

" _WHAT_!?" the demon shouted.

This was _impossible_! How could he be in _Stanley_ 's mind!? He shook hands with _Stanford_!

"Ha ha! Do a pretty good impression of my brother, don't I?" Stanley mocked him. "Switch clothes and no one can tell us apart."

He smiled as the frustrated demon stood motionless.

"Welcome to my mind! Surprised you didn't recognize it."

"What!?" Bill finally shouted. "The deal's off!"

The door behind him shut, as a blue fire started to fill the room.

There was no escape, for both of them.

"What the—No. No. No. No. No!"

So he finally understood what was happening. Good.

"Oh yeah. You're going down, Bill."

That was impossible. That _couldn't happen_!

"You're gettin' erased. Memory gun. Pretty clever, huh?"

Stan looked calm. How could he be calm!?

"You—You idiot! Don't you realize you're destroying your own mind too?"

All around them, things started to get blurred. The memory of the old man was disappearing from his brain.

"Eh. It's not like I was using this space for much anyway" he cynically answered.

"Let me outta here!" the demon yelled. "Let me—"

He tried to use some powers. But nothing happened.

"Oh!—Why isn't this working?"

He couldn't believe it. He was going to die here, and now?!

"Hey, look at me."

Stan got out of his chair.

"Turn around and look at me you one-eyed demon!"

Bill turned back. That was the very first time Stan saw _fear_ in this eye.

"You're a real wise guy" he said with his big, harsh voice. "But you made one fatal mistake."

He pointed an incriminating finger at him.

"You messed with my family."

The flames got closer and closer to Bill. He looked right and left, looking for an escape. He kneeled face to Stanley.

"You're making a mistake" he shouted. "I'll give you anything!"

His pupil turned into shapes.

"Money. Fame. Riches. Infinite power. Your own galaxy!" he successively formulated as his eye showed a dollar sign, a star, a cauldron full of gold, and a spiral of stars in space.

The fire of oblivion became more and more intense. They were living on the last threads of Stan's mind…

And the threads Bill was based on were slowly disappearing.

" _Please_! No!"

He tried to change his shape to escape. Yet he couldn't.

He started glitching and taking several alternated and distorted shapes of himself.

So _this_ was how a demon ended…

"What's happening to me!?"

Stan calmly looked at him. Bill started talking backwards. He couldn't get a word of what he was saying, but he knew the triangle guy was weak. Too weak.

And he tried to fly towards him, calling his name in one last shout of hatred. He tried to reach him with his hand. But face to him, Stanley prepared his fist, and hit him with all the strength he could put in this one, last and fatal blow.

The demon fell in golden and black ashes that disappeared in the burning place, leaving Stan alone in his mind.

He looked behind him. On the table was laying a picture of the four of them. Dipper, Mabel, Waddles and him.

This was the last memory he wanted to remember before disappearing.

He took it, and smiled as he remembered the good times he had with them.

"Heh."

Time to say goodbye, now…

" _Guess I was good for something after all…_ " he sighed, before letting the flames of oblivion consume the last ounce of him in a blue light.


End file.
